The ministry of Health has said that Karamoja currently has the highest cases of Hepatitis B infections in the world something that has forced its workers to intervene and find a lasting solution to the epidermic in the region.

Hepatitis B is an infectious viral disease that attacks and dysfunctions the liver. Uganda has 10 per cent prevalence and that is about 3.5 million people, and can cause death if untreated.

While representing the ministry of Health during a two-day training workshop at Moroto Regional Referral Hospital aimed at equipping health workers with more skills on how to fight the epidermic and other infections, Dr Francis Mugume said that Karamoja has a 23.9 per cent Hepatitis B prevalence, making it world's most infected area.

During the same training, health workers from all the seven Karamojong districts of Nakapiripirit, Amudat, Moroto, Napak, kotido, Kaabong and Abim were technically equipped on how to use various equipments like a SelexON POCT machine and HMIS forms for data entry of HBV patients.

According to Dr Mugume, the SelexON POCT is first class technology equipment developed by Dong-AST, a South Korean-based company. It is highly a portable machine and will replace the Rapid Test Kit (RDT). He added that the multipurpose machine will be used to screen Hepatitis B, Malaria, among other infections.

But looking at the number of patients in the region, Dr Mugume said: "The Ministry has now received a donation of over 200 SelexON equipment from Dong-A ST. The ministry in conjunction with Medilink Uganda has prioritized to distribute the equipment in areas with high prevalence especially Northern Uganda and Karamoja to be specific."

Dr Daniel Kalepon from Amudat Referral Hospital said the fight against Hepatitis B has now kicked off in the region and the hospital has already received one machine which has helped to identify 3 Hepatitis B patients. These, he said, have started receiving medication.
As a roll out programme, various hospitals were earmarked to open up Hepatitis B clinics. Mawa Geofrey, the public health administrator said that Moroto Regional Referral Hospital was given the responsibility of spearheading the start of opening up other clinics to fight the prevalence.

However, the ministry of Health has not yet generated the basic statistics for those infected by Hepatitis B Virus. Mugume said that there is heavy reliance on statistics that were generated in 2005 but promised to quickly devise a means of coming to know about the exact number of patients in the region.

For Eunice Ainomugisha, a researcher from Uganda Viral Research Institute (UVRI), she identified Mother-to-Child transmission as the main cause of Hepatitis B Virus. Once coupled with the communal way of life of the Karimojong, the researcher said that such is more likely to escalate the number of those infected.

The trainees noticed that the community is now in greater panic since the vaccine was introduced. “It was not alarming unlike when they brought the vaccine, ”said Dr Peter Lokwang from Tokora Health Centre IV in Nakapiripirit. They resolved that counseling of patients would be paramount so as the infected don't get stigmatised.

Meanwhile, The Hepatitis technical working group for Karamoja region was also formed during the training. According to the National Co-ordinator for Hepatitis B training, Cliff Richard Edekibo, the team will among others be responsible for health education on Hepatitis B, and conducting operational research as to why there is high prevalence in Karamoja. The team will be headed by Dr Peter Lokwang who was voted chairman in the training.

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